A little confused on lifting

twhaley1990
twhaley1990 Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm wrapping my mind around "toning" not being real, and I think I get it. However, what I'm still foggy on is the low weights-high reps vs heavy weights low-reps issue. Will I not gain any muscle whatsoever from light weights and high reps? And which is better for preventing injury (I'm an actress and am really trying to get more serious about dance and have been told strength training is important for injury prevention)? Trying to decipher fact from marketing ploy can be tricky. Thanks in advance for the help!

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Your question is a bit vague on what your goals actually are. But if one of them is gaining strength, that's going to happen a lot faster with lower reps and higher weights.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    When you get too low on the weight and too high on the reps it becomes more of an endurance type exercise. To get the benefits of greater strength and improved bone density etc, then it is better to do a program that has lower reps and heavier weights that also includes progressive loading (i.e. adding more weight over time so you keep stimulating your muscles).

    By lower reps and heavier weights, I mean something less than the 15 rep range (the weight will depend on the individual but you should push so the last reps are challenging).

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